Bellator pay-per-view brings no added pressure for champ Pat Curran

There are major differences between competing on a cable television platform such as Spike TV and a pay-per-view, but for Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat Curran, those differences are inconsequential.

“I’m honored to be a part of Bellator’s first pay-per-view, but I really don’t want to put too much added pressure on myself with the pay-per-view,” Curran told MMAjunkie.com. “I don’t think about it.”

The key difference as the Bellator brand moves to pay-per-view for the first time on Nov. 2 is the significant price tag that comes along with purchasing the card.

That means expectations for the fighters to perform is even greater than usual and the backlash for an underwhelming contest is heightened.

Some fighters might allow that kind of pressure hinder their training or performance inside the cage, but Curran (19-4 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) is blocking out the distractions and looks at his battle set to take place at the Long Beach Arena in California the same way as any other.

“A fight’s a fight, and I’m going into it with the mindset of it being just an average Bellator card,” Curran said. “I’m not putting any added pressure on myself and I just want to go out there, perform at my best and just do what I know I can.”

The man Curran will be looking to perform against is No. 1 contender Daniel Straus, who eared his shot at the belt by winning the Season 6 featherweight tournament.

Curran and Straus (21-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) have competed against each other once before back in 2009, with “Paddy Mike” emerging victorious by second-round knockout.

The 26-year-old hopes to duplicate his efforts with another stoppage victory, but he’s not going to force anything merely to upstage his previous win.

“I’m not worried about it,” Curran said of besting his first fight with Straus. “I’m just focused on my training and making sure I get to the fight mentally and physically at 100 percent.”

On most Bellator cards, a Curran vs. Straus main event would take the headlining role. However, since Bellator stacked the deck for its inaugural pay-per-view, the 145-pound title fight sits in the middle of the card.

An argument can be made Curran is a more relevant current figure in MMA than Ortiz or “Rampage,” and while some may believe Curran is having the spotlight taken from him by two men whose best times in the sport are in the past, the Illinois native is not flustered by his placement on the card.

“They can be the main event,” Curran said. “They’ve been in the sport a lot longer than I have and they’re two huge names in the sport. I’m a fan, I grew up watching them and even though I started with Bellator and Bellator made me who I am, it really doesn’t affect me at all. I’m happy to go in there and fight.”

What makes the rematch with Straus so significant to Curran’s Bellator career is the fact a victory would make him the first fighter in history to achieve 10 wins with the organization.

That statistic paired with the pressure to defeat Straus impressively for a second time on a major stage would be enough to rattle a lot of athletes, but not Curran.

The reigning featherweight titleholder is taking a workmanlike approach into the most significant bout of his life and he knows there will be plenty of time to reflect on the outside factors after his hand is raised.

“This fight is no different than any other fight that I’ve had,” Curran said. “I just want to go out there, put on a great show for everybody and have a good time doing it.

“Every time I step in the cage, I fight my heart out and I will put on a great show for the fans.”

From Our Partners

The Latest

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.